The Hockey Museum’s trustee Tochi Panesar was in Nairobi, Kenya, to experience firsthand the centenary celebrations of Sikh Union Club. The following are his reflections on an event that will live long in the memory.
A Memorable Hockey Tour to Sikh Union Club Nairobi
Having experienced Sikh Union Club Nairobi’s 75th birthday celebrations, I was delighted to receive an invitation to their centenary on behalf of Spencer Hockey Club where I am celebrating my fiftieth playing season. The invitation was to take two hockey teams from Spencer to participate in Sikh Union’s centenary hockey tournaments to be played on their new blue artificial turf! We were requested to raise an over 50s men’s masters team and a first XI-standard men’s team. It proved difficult to get enough players from one club alone, so both teams went as Satellites Hockey Club, which was formed as an invitation team in 1970 by Kuljit Rihal. We had players from various clubs: the first XI team had several players from Richmond Hockey Club, from Canada, Malaysia and from the USA; the masters team included five players from Spain. It was a great effort by captains Immy Bhatti for masters and Jeroen Sibia for the first XI.
Both Satellites teams played good, competitive hockey, as did all the participating teams. The masters tournament was won by Sikh Union Nairobi; Satellites won silver. The first XI-standard tournament was won by a young enterprising under 21 team from India – Punjab. Satellites won the bronze medal.
Sikh Union’s new international-standard, all-weather pitch
In 2019 Sikh Union Club Nairobi replaced their traditional murram pitch with a second-hand green artificial turf. A major milestone – the driving force to deliver this new surface was Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal (affectionately called Tari), supported by many in the club as well as domestic and international well-wishers. I also took an invitation team to Nairobi in 2023 to play in the Vaisakhi festival.
As the centenary year approached, Tari instigated project ‘Green to Blue’ to deliver a new international-standard, blue all-weather pitch. Tari single mindedly declared that Sikh Union’s centenary hockey tournament would be played on this new surface. He approached his many contacts to help raise funds for this project. Apart from him, I don’t think there was anyone else who thought this project would be delivered. However, with Tari’s unrelenting self-belief and amazing support from Kenyan communities, many well-wishers and Tari’s international supporters, this dream came true!
Unprecedented torrential rain significantly delayed the project. When our Satellites Hockey Club teams arrived in Nairobi on 29 April – two days before the start of the tournament – only one-third of the pitch had been laid! Most people, including me, thought there was no way the pitch would be ready in time. For the first week, the preliminary matches took place at local private college. It was very noticeable that the Club General Secretary Deljinder Singh Mudhar (Del) and Tari worked tirelessly with their team to ensure that the pitch was ready to host the semi-finals and final – a fantastic achievement against the odds! The new, blue pitch is now the ‘home’ of hockey in Kenya.
The Sikh Union Club Nairobi’s centenary book, The 100 Year Legacy: A Tribute to Our Past, A Toast to Our Future.
A Brief History of Sikh Union Club Nairobi
Sikhs and other religious groups came to Kenya from India from 1895 onwards to build the railway from Mombasa to Uganda. The Sikh Union Club Nairobi was formed in 1926 and it remains one of the oldest Sikh establishments outside of India. It developed into a multi-sport club with cricket and hockey being the main sports; the others being tennis, motor sport, squash, and badminton.
The Sikh Union HC has seen 26 athletes represent Kenya in hockey at the Olympic Games between 1956–1988. In addition to this, 11 club players also represented Kenya at the Hockey World Cups of 1971 and 1973. Today, its clubhouse in Nairobi has two significant features that honour the hockey history and legacy of Sikh Union Club.
Hall of Fame – the brainchild of Del Mudhar proudly displays over 400 photographs, including every Sikh Union Olympian and ‘world cupper’, and the many stalwarts of the club including sportsmen, founders, chairmen etc. This photographic journey through time is exhibited in a long corridor overlooking the cricket pitch.
The Hall of Fame at Sikh Union Club Nairobi runs the length of the corridor and features photographs of eminent hockey players and club members.
Tari’s Corner – hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal has a corner of clubhouse dedicated exclusively to the display of his marvelous memorabilia; a museum of Tari’s career. This collection was preserved meticulously over the years by his late wife Ripudaman (Nikki) Kaur. Tari was selected to play for Sikh Union at the age of 17 in 1955 and has been at the club ever since! He is a veteran of six Olympic Games, four as a player (captain at three), one as Kenya head coach and one as an International Hockey Federation (FIH) official. Tari also captained Kenya at the first World Cup in 1971 when Kenya finished fourth, losing just 1–2 to the mighty India team in the bronze medal match.
Avtar Singh Sohal: Kenya Recognises Its Most Distinguished Hockey Son – The Hockey Museum
Avtar Singh Sohal’s exhibition at Sikh Union Club, which showcases his personal memorablia and celebrates his lifetime achievements.
The Sikh Union Club’s rich history is freshly captured in a magnificent 505-page hardback centenary publication, Sikh Union Club Nairobi: The 100 Year Legacy. A Tribute to our Past, a Toast to our Future. A fantastic job – congratulations to all who contributed and in particular to Del and his daughter Nimtra who shared delivery of this gigantic task!
A copy of this book was gifted to The Hockey Museum and received with thanks for our library. This article includes information from the book, with the kind permission of Del Mudhar.
Sikh Union Club Nairobi Celebrates 100 Years with Definitive Historical Record – South Asian Herald
The names of the contributors to the Sikh Union Club Nairobi centenary book feature within the centenary logo.
The Centenary Celebrations
The celebrations for the Sikh Union HC centenary ran for nearly two months! Participants gathered not only for sport but also for a special, three-day religious ceremony, seeking the blessings of the Almighty and celebrating faith and friendship. The celebrations brought together people from different countries and backgrounds, creating an atmosphere of unity that extended far beyond the sporting arena.
While hockey remained at the heart of the occasion, the event also embraced other popular sports including golf, cricket, badminton, as well as tree planting, a family treasure hunt, and a grand gala lunch, all of which added further excitement and camaraderie. A souvenir programme was given to each participant at the end of proceedings which featured amazing content and, impressively, the latest pictures from the celebrations virtually as they happened!
Teams travelled from across the globe to take part, including four teams from the United Kingdom, one from Nigeria, one from Malaysia and one from India. The organisers ensured that all overseas teams were warmly welcomed. Complimentary hotel accommodation was provided for visiting participants, along with free transport between their hotels and the playing ground and complimentary meals at the club. The presence of these overseas teams highlighted the international appeal of Sikh Union and strengthened the bonds between communities separated by distance but connected through sport and religion.
Hospitality remained a key feature throughout the event. On most evenings, patrons and friends of the club generously hosted dinners, creating opportunities for guests and hosts to build lasting friendships. The finale was a lavish gala lunch for over 750 guests, including many dignitaries. It saw numerous speeches, recognition of all Sikh Union players who had represented Kenya at Olympic Games and World Cups, lifetime achievements awards, entertainment by local artistes, folk dances from the Punjab, dancing to Bhangra music and the launch of the magnificent centenary book. At this function it was an honor and pleasure for me to deliver the vote of thanks to Sikh Union Nairobi one behalf of their guests.
Del Mudhar, General Secretary of this iconic club, had this to say:
“Sikh Union Club celebrated its centenary and the milestone laying of the FIH-approved blue pitch at the Dashmesh Stadium in grand style in May. Events such as these come once in a lifetime. I am privileged and honoured to have served as the General Secretary and witnessed such a historical moment.”
Congratulations to everyone involved who made these amazing centenary celebrations possible with a harambee spirit. The club should be proud of this superb achievement. Through faith and sport, the event became much more than a prestigious centenary tournament – it was a celebration of Sikh culture and sporting legacy that left lasting memories for everyone involved.
Well done Sikh Union Nairobi – The Hockey Museum wishes you all the very best for your next century!
Tarlochan (Tochi) Singh Panesar
Three trustees of The Hockey Museum: Tochi Panesar (left) presents the Sikh Union Club centenary book to fellow trustees Mike Barford (centre) and Mike Smith (right).
